Home Match Day Thread 11/9/2021 L1: OUFC V Wycombe Wanderers

[bazzer9461]

Quite correct . 1958 - 1962 gates averaged 4500 - 6000 in the Southern League. A couple of FA Cup Ties against Hendon and Bridgwater pulled in crowds of 10000 plus. Seems difficult to believe, but it's true. Gates today are about where they should be. An average attendance of nine to ten thousand is light years away.......unfortunately.

Being in the championship would or should address that issue

 

[ljs]

opinions allowed but honestly no idea !

It's okay. Even if you don't, you can still post and we won't take the P**s.

Also, most of it was factual, not an opinion.

 

[tonyw]

If there was any doubt about Ainsworth and time wasting:

Gareth Ainsworth has say on controversial Adebayo Akinfenwa stoppage

GARETH Ainsworth admitted the lengthy stoppage to treat Adebayo Akinfenwa benefitted Wycombe Wanderers at Oxford United.

www.oxfordmail.co.uk

Weirdly, I think that instance was one of the few times where a stoppage was justified and it wasn't actually plain simple Ainsworth cheating. The fat lad was bleeding profusely, and it was a head injury, so I believe under the current rules, he's supposed to get treatment on the pitch.

This is not to excuse the other 9,000 incidents of time-wasting that the ref let them get away with.


On the more general point of our start - I honestly don't feel like we've played a good team yet. Bolton were excellent going forwards and an absolute circus at the back; everyone else has been hard-working and organized but lacking in quality.

It's possible that that's because there are no good teams in the division this season (unlike, for example, Hull last year where you watched them and they just seemed a cut above anyone else we faced in the league). I hope that's the case, because it means we're in with a chance despite the limitations of our squad. But we're not going to know for sure until we've played some of the other 'heavyweights' - the likes of Sunderland, Pompey, Wigan, Wednesday & Rotherham.

 

[horseman]

Shodipo had barely played a game before coming to us, and Barker was frustratingly inconsistent. I think it's a little unfair to dismiss Whyte, Holland, Bodin and Williams as being worse than the options we had last season.

I also think that Thorniley didn't have the greatest of games yesterday but is far better than the Rob Atkinson who started last season. Atkinson improved and was part of a much stronger defence once we had a settled side. Long, Moore, Thorniley and Seddon look incredibly strong for this level and arguably stronger than last season.

Taylor is struggling, but he also struggled at the beginning of last season until we found some consistency and rhythm throughout the side. If it wasn't for some very good blocks, then Taylor scores a couple of tap in yesterday and all is forgiven. He will come good.

So there are positives there, and our league position shows that we're heading in the right direction. Sykes shoots instead of passing, or the ball getting turned in by Taylor and we finish the day in 3rd!

I would challenge that, Thorniley looked good in the first 2/3 games but latterly his passing has often been woeful and has what i can describe as "sleepy" moments being caught in possession due in the main to taking too much time/not being aware

Last season Moore would often ping a cross field pass to an already marked Barker/Shodipo by 2/3 defenders when logic states someone else must be free and in space. Thorniley has that in his locker and at least doesn't try it every time but has mishit it a few times but one occasion on Saturday he played a great ball to Sykes who controlled it brilliantly and when a defender got close there was acres for someone to run into towards their penatly area but nobody made a run and a potential threatening attack turned into backward passes.

I bring it back to over the top criticism last season when we were rarely able play a settled back 5- 6 including the much needed and underrated Gorrin, we have faced similar this season already with Moore and Forde out at times.

One other thing that frustrates me is the virtual lack of movement at our throw in's

 

[Wandering Yellow]

Weirdly, I think that instance was one of the few times where a stoppage was justified and it wasn't actually plain simple Ainsworth cheating. The fat lad was bleeding profusely, and it was a head injury, so I believe under the current rules, he's supposed to get treatment on the pitch.

This is not to excuse the other 9,000 incidents of time-wasting that the ref let them get away with.


On the more general point of our start - I honestly don't feel like we've played a good team yet. Bolton were excellent going forwards and an absolute circus at the back; everyone else has been hard-working and organized but lacking in quality.

It's possible that that's because there are no good teams in the division this season (unlike, for example, Hull last year where you watched them and they just seemed a cut above anyone else we faced in the league). I hope that's the case, because it means we're in with a chance despite the limitations of our squad. But we're not going to know for sure until we've played some of the other 'heavyweights' - the likes of Sunderland, Pompey, Wigan, Wednesday & Rotherham.

Not really on the same page, I think the league is stronger this season than last.

MK, Wigan, Ipswich, Sunderland, Wednesday are all likely to come good. Its a marathon not a sprint. This is an extremely competitive league this season. We

 

[horseman]

I was the angriest I've been in many years at that game, the complete lack of control from the ref wound me up so much. When the opposition are blatantly time-wasting, shirt-pulling and generally cheating you need a strong ref to clamp down early, but sadly he was the opposite.

Having said that... yet again, if plan A doesn't work we don't have a plan B. Taylor is so isolated up top. Whyte is way too deep, and when he gets the ball he doesn't seem to have the confidence to run at defenders. We also are great at getting players into good crossing/passing positions and then the final ball rarely hits the striker.

We can get width from full backs so I'd ditch the wingers and push Whyte up front to play off the shoulder of the defender - this would spread the defence so much more effectively.

One final point - just watched Quest and saw the Oxford fan getting Ainsworth's autograph. What on earth is that about?

Ah now when KR changed it at Wimbledon putting Winnall and Taylor up top that was criticised, it really is fine margins with these decisions

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Ah now when KR changed it at Wimbledon putting Winnall and Taylor up top that was criticised, it really is fine margins with these decisions

Well yes, but maybe what we need is an *effective* Plan B!

 

[horseman]

Well yes, but maybe what we need is an *effective* Plan B!

After the performance v Bolton where those 2 were up top with Whyte just off them it had worked very well and but for woeful finishing things could of been different, so there was every reason to think it may work.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

 

[Brahma]

I found the game entertaining. The referee and officials ruined it though as a spectacle.

Wycombe had a very good 20 minute spell, the first half was pretty even. From 35 minutes, they had decided what they wanted and played a way that enabled them to try to achieve it. Nothing wrong with that but the whining about 'I wouldn't want to watch that' is odd. They played that way to stop us. It's football tactics and style to get a point they desperately set out for. If Oxford played that way away to a top side, we'd be crowing about it.

Oxford were by far the superior side in the second.

The problem, was the bizarre lack of substitutions. KR lost us the victory on Saturday IMO. Had we gone for it, great but we left it till the 85th minute to make replacements then it was Long for Forde. Williams should have entered for Forde after 70 minutes. Agyei too, not as a replacement for Taylor but in addition. We were on top and the three points were there for the taking.

As for Sam Winnall, deary me. What have we done? Why we didn't bring in a young striker on loan (especially if we had to keep Sam and couldn't get rid) is beyond me.

 

[UTM]

Quite correct . 1958 - 1962 gates averaged 4500 - 6000 in the Southern League. A couple of FA Cup Ties against Hendon and Bridgwater pulled in crowds of 10000 plus. Seems difficult to believe, but it's true. Gates today are about where they should be. An average attendance of nine to ten thousand is light years away.......unfortunately.

Again spot on . In many ways I think people think about the glory days of a full Manor in the bigger games . Especially the Tuesday night games which was allways buzzing. But in truth we have over time had some very low crowds.
To be honest yes average nine to ten no chance in this league.

 

[Oxford84]

I found the game entertaining. The referee and officials ruined it though as a spectacle.

Wycombe had a very good 20 minute spell, the first half was pretty even. From 35 minutes, they had decided what they wanted and played a way that enabled them to try to achieve it. Nothing wrong with that but the whining about 'I wouldn't want to watch that' is odd. They played that way to stop us. It's football tactics and style to get a point they desperately set out for. If Oxford played that way away to a top side, we'd be crowing about it.

Oxford were by far the superior side in the second.

The problem, was the bizarre lack of substitutions. KR lost us the victory on Saturday IMO. Had we gone for it, great but we left it till the 85th minute to make replacements then it was Long for Forde. Williams should have entered for Forde after 70 minutes. Agyei too, not as a replacement for Taylor but in addition. We were on top and the three points were there for the taking.

As for Sam Winnall, deary me. What have we done? Why we didn't bring in a young striker on loan (especially if we had to keep Sam and couldn't get rid) is beyond me.

they play that way every game not just a specific one off game. We didnt even play that way when we played Man City and we were able to watch an excellent game of football. They are robbing fans, including their own, of entertainment.

 

[SteMerritt]

they play that way every game not just a specific one off game. We didnt even play that way when we played Man City and we were able to watch an excellent game of football. They are robbing fans, including their own, of entertainment.

As a famous manager said back in the 1980s "If you want entertainment, go and watch a bunch of clowns." Some people would rather just see a win, however that win arrives.

 

[Tomox]

The biggest problem with that style of football is it's really hard to sustain yourself when you make the step up to the Championship. You can't play like that and hope to stay up really, you have to be able to play. The teams are so good they will make 70% possession count more often than not.

 

[Wandering Yellow]

Wycombe came very close to staying up

 

[bazzer9461]

Wycombe came very close to staying up

They did and they were even courting the idea of Derby being relegated for financial irregularities.

 

[Big Ron]

Wycombe came very close to staying up

No they didn't - you're just looking at the final table in isolation They were adrift at the bottom of the table all season and won a few games near the end when they very little mathematical chance of staying up. I think there might have been two days when they weren't in the bottom three.

 

[Oxford84]

As a famous manager said back in the 1980s "If you want entertainment, go and watch a bunch of clowns." Some people would rather just see a win, however that win arrives.

Would you pay to watch them every season then?

 

[RgYellows]

As a famous manager said back in the 1980s "If you want entertainment, go and watch a bunch of clowns."

I did!

 

[Wandering Yellow]

No they didn't - you're just looking at the final table in isolation They were adrift at the bottom of the table all season and won a few games near the end when they very little mathematical chance of staying up. I think there might have been two days when they weren't in the bottom three.

If Derby got deducted points they would have stayed up, doesn't matter how you do it, they weren't that far off.